Police say gun threat at junior high school was unfounded

LANCASTER - Fresh off a mass shooting at a Florida high school this week, city police said a gun threat at General Sherman Junior High School Thursday was unfounded.

Police said a parent called authorities when her child said she heard that a student made threats toward the school.

Capt. Greg Seesholtz said some students were in a locker room playing around when one got upset over something and started banging his head on the wall.

A third party later said someone in the locker room threatened the school with a gun. But Seesholtz said police determined that no one made such a threat and spoke to several students during the investigation.

"It looks like someone embellished the story a little bit," he said. "But there was no threat and no weapon."

Seesholtz said police contacted the student accused of making the threat and his parents at 1 a.m. Friday.

"The parents and the students cooperated fully with us, even at that time of night," he said. "The student said he would have to be an idiot to make a threat like that following what happened in Florida."

Seventeen people died Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in a mass shooting, including numerous students.

Seesholtz said a family member said there was a gun in the house, but that it was secured.

Seesholtz said the student accused of making the threat was expected to return to school later Friday after he and his parents met with school officials.